Sir David Attenborough will reflect on the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic and earmark 2021 as a crucial moment in the climate crisis battle during a specially-recorded New Year message.
In an address on BBC One, the acclaimed naturalist will say that 2020 has been a difficult year — both for the planet and himself — but the past 12 months have proved that people can pull together to make a difference.
“I am speaking to you from my home, because like many of you I have spent much of the last year indoors, away from friends, family and access to the natural world,” he will say. “It has been a challenging few months for many of us, but the reaction to these extraordinary times has proved that when we work together, there is no limit to what we can accomplish.”
Looking ahead to November’s United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, Attenborough will say: “It’s a crucial moment in our history. This could be a year for positive change, for ourselves, for our planet and for the wonderful creatures with which we share it. A year the world could remember proudly and say, ‘we made a difference’. As we make our new years’ resolutions, let’s think about what each of us can do.”
Attenborough will conclude: “Here’s to a brighter year ahead. Let’s make 2021 a happy new year.”
The message will be broadcast on BBC One at 7.57 PM local time. It helps tease Attenborough’s new natural history history, A Perfect Planet, which premieres on January 3.